344 



PREMIUM BARN. 



LEWIS ;F. ALLEU'S phemium babn. 



We give our readers the plans and description ol 

 the barn buildings of Lewis F. Aixek, of Black 

 Rock, for which the New York State Agricultural 

 Society awarded Mr. Allen a premium of S20. In 

 presenting his plans for the consideration of the So- 

 ciety, Mr. A. made the following remarks: — "The 

 buildings presented are the plans of structures now 

 in course of erection on my own farm on Grand Is- 

 land, in (he county of Erie. I do not present them 

 as nno i n i untried in merit, therefore theoretical and 

 speculative merely, but aa the reconslructwn, on an 

 enlarged and more durable plan, of a barn establish- 

 ment lirst built by me twenty years ago, and which 

 I have used ever since for both grain and stock pur- 

 poses in all their variety and branches. Sly experi- 

 ence in their use, together with a very considerable 

 observation of buildings of like chartcter in different 

 parts of the country, has confirmed me in the belief 

 that I can not suggest eo good a plan and arrange- 

 ment as this now presented to you." 



Description. — The body of the main barn is 100 

 feet long by 50 feet wide; the po.<ts 18 feet high 

 above the sill, and 12^ feet apart, making nine bents. 

 The roof has a pitch of 17 feet, being a trifle over 

 what would be termed a third pitch. Tlie advan- 

 tages of a steep roof over a flat one in durability 

 and affording storage beneath il, v.'ill not, by experi- 

 enced men, le qu'stioncd. The beams of the barn 

 are' 14 feet nbove the s'Jls, which is the height of the 

 inner posts. It is not necessary, however, to have 

 more than two of these beams, aside from those at 

 the ends, extend across the whole width of the build- 

 ing, as a beam inserted across the entire width at 

 the fourth post from each end, thus leaving a space 

 of 37J fi^et at each end and of 115 i'e!;t in the middle 

 section without beams, will tie the building sufQcient 

 ly strong to prevent spreading, and interfere less with 

 the storage of hay and grain over the main floor. 

 The perloin posts are 12j feet loni,-, and stand 12j 

 feet inside the main outer post". These perloin posts- 

 are connected by gh-ts 25 feet long. ?, feet below the 

 perloin plate. The lower rafters aiv one foot longer 

 than the upper one.s, allowing tliut measure for pro- 

 jection over the main plates; the upper and lower 

 rafters thus being 15 and 10 leei lung, respectively. 



The barn is divided lengthwise into three sections- 

 viz: the main floor in the center, extending through- 

 out, and a section on each side, accommodating the 

 hay and grain bays, horse power, and machinery. 

 This floor is 14 feet wide; it may be contracted to 

 12 feet, for hay purposes only; but fur the uses re- 

 quired in grain storage, 14 feet is none too much. 

 On each side of the floor, at the front end of the 

 building, is an open area, 25 feet in length, extend- 

 ing to the sides, or outer posts', IS feet. On one side 

 is located the threshing machine, corn sheller, grain 

 crusher, straw cutter, and such other machinery, 

 driven by horse power, as may be required; and on I 



the other side is the circular track for the stationary 

 horse power, where the horse walks round the circle 

 like an old fashioned bark mill. Such an arrange- 

 ment for stationary power I believe to be better, in 



its simplicity, cheapness, and convenience, than any 

 other yet invented. In this arrangement, a perpen- 

 dicular shaft, with arms, at the extremities of which 

 the horses are attached, is the moving power. A 



